One Chicago Death From Legionella Reported
CHICAGO (STMW) -- A person living at a Gold Coast rehabilitation center has died of legionella, according to the Chicago Department of Public Health.
The agency had very few details, but said the victim was living at Warren Barr Gold Coast. Officials say they aren't sure how the victim contracted the disease.
"CDPH is working closely with Warren Barr and other health facilities the patient had visited to identify possible sources of exposure," according to a Public Health statement. "At this time, there have been no additional confirmed cases among residents or employees at Warren Barr."
Legionella, the bacteria that causes Legionnaires' disease, is not spread person to person, according to the healthy agency, but is found in water or water systems. Symptoms of the disease include: fever, cough, fatigue and shortness of breath. The disease is curable, but early treatment is important.
"Legionnaires' disease is a severe form of pneumonia — lung inflammation usually caused by infection," according to the Mayo Clinic. "The legionella bacterium also causes Pontiac fever, a milder illness resembling the flu."
The first outbreak was at an American Legion convention in Philadelphia in 1976.
(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2015. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
